I doubt... I guess taboo words are times more interesting to learn on your own(mostly from movies) than write them down during your lectures and then to be given a word dictation! It's very useful to know the special vocabulary, but not from your english teacher I suppose.
and also I can't imagine my intelligent, well-mannered middle-aged english teacher talking these words out loud!
otherwise danyet could teach you something!

Tora wrote:I doubt... I guess taboo words are times more interesting to learn on your own(mostly from movies) than write them down during your lectures and then to be given a word dictation! It's very useful to know the special vocabulary, but not from your english teacher I suppose.

I'm with you on this one. Even in your own language you don't see teachers teach the new cussed words to students who don't know them; therefore, why should it be a difference for foreign languages??? Also, people say ignorance is bliss. What you don't know won't hurt you. Those are just words after all; they're not invisible flying knives that could kill you if you don't cussed words to throw back at your opponent.

LennyeTran wrote:people say ignorance is bliss. What you don't know won't hurt you. Those are just words after all; they're not invisible flying knives that could kill you if you don't cussed words to throw back at your opponent.

Isn't that just snobbish. It's a part of education, your education cant be complete if you make one part of it as taboo. Actually how you define taboo? It's something that is agreed upon as not to use, but there are many different groups of peoples who have different taboo..

Anyway if watching american police mowies then seems that example ~ is a regular word that every policeman must use if arrest someone. Well I would like to know how taboo it is for a american to use that word, how bad it is to use for a people from uk... Is there a difference. If translated it into estonian it's too bad I would not use it..

btw. One estonian language teacher we had in school, told once to a boy from my class, when we learned difference of nouns and verbs "you surely wrote ***!" (*** is noun, we was had to write verbs) that was really inappropriate for a teacher. But such harassment was typical for a soviet teacher. They had not allowed to beat, so they just taunt very badly. Of course some girls was tell to director, but what use of that. Do that teacher had courage to tell "yes I told it", certainly not.

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PS. those taboo words are only disgusting to hear, not to say. I haven't seen that someone have problem to eat with that mouth at latter.. at least so far (s)he know the exact meaning of words (s)he using.
PS.PS. I mean those word's are only then disgusting when others using them not your self.

Hardi wrote:Isn't that just snobbish. It's a part of education, your education cant be complete if you make one part of it as taboo. Actually how you define taboo? It's something that is agreed upon as not to use, but there are many different groups of peoples who have different taboo..

I don't think cussed words are taboo; I see them as uneducated words. I mean, do we really need to know them to know all aspects of life? Is there a need to use them? Hence, is there a need to learn something that won't help our education at all? I mean, instead of spending time to teach more vocabulary words that are useful to students's education, teachers have to spend time to teach those words and what's the use? Just to know how to cuss? No, thanks. I'll pass. If they wanted to know, do it on their own time. With the "help" of television, movies, Internet, they'll know those on their own just fine.

Hardi wrote:Isn't that just snobbish. It's a part of education, your education cant be complete if you make one part of it as taboo. Actually how you define taboo? It's something that is agreed upon as not to use, but there are many different groups of peoples who have different taboo..

I am with other member .The taboo words is a bad lanugage and the people should avoid that kind of waste.Also, the teacher must don't give the students this type of bad language.In addition,taboo words don't consider as knowledge.

I guess you can hardly say what is really bad language. I mean, we use language to communicate with other people so I don't see how come that knowing less vocabulary can help you to express yourself better. I do not think there such thing as synonyms. Two words, no matter how close in meaning they are, have always differents nuances, haven't they?

It wouldn't kill if my teacher taught us in class some abusive language in English. At least we would know if someone from a foreign country is calling our names. I guess it's not right but even though in my class everyone knew most of the cussed words and I had to leave class a few times because I forgot we weren't allowed to use them.

We use them to insult others - it's good to know when you're being insulted so that you can escape the situation peacefully. You don't have to use them yourself nor return them to the owner!

We also use them to emphasize an emotion - this is important to acheive an affect and get someone's attention. I personally do not swear, but on those rare occasions when it happens, people stop and look at me because they know that I'm frustrated or angry with something I'm doing badly.

Actually it depends on one's level at the language. In the British Council there are sixteen levels in order to assess one's level at English. So if you have first level you are a novice, if you have sixteenth level you are as good as a native speaker.

In 2002 I got through an FCE exam so my level was 13th.
I think that for many people who have this level it's sort of waste of time learning all this stuff before, say, forteenth level or even higher levels. So if one doesn't feel necessity it's of no use to study these words. And teachers should not spend their time during lessons explaing to students how to use them.

the teacher should not teach the taboo words on anything purpoes or avoid them for any worries ,when he or she meets some cussed words during the lessons ,just meet it and go ahead smoothly and naturally .And i think the students has the right to know anything closely relate to them .

Hmm... one day i practised my French with native speakers... i was telling a story and suddenly said a word which made them look at me in surprise whispering 'how could you say that' ... lately i was explained it was extremely rude to use that word... so before openin' your mouth be sure that u really know an exact meaning of the word and if it is ok to say that one...

Of course, i wouldn't have made such a mistake if my teacher had told me about taboo words in time... but at lessons we don't have enough time to learn important things not only taboo stuff... so don't forget about self-education especially when we have such a lot of sites explaining slang... For instance, here

this is a hard question. :? i mean i do use a little bit of bad words but, have you talked to someone who says nothing but bad words when they are not even trying to be funny?

i think teachers should explain that saying bad words doesn't look good and that they will not get you anywhere. sure sometimes they are funny but in certain situations, not all the time. anyway everyone is going to end up learning these words, but it is better to explain what they are and what consecuences they have then to teach them all these words.

and if i had a kid and came home talking nothing but bad words and said that the teacher taught them to him, i would knock the ~ out of this teacher

First of all, I'd like to say hi to all members, I have just joined to this forum and happy to be member of it,as well.

Thinking of no necessary to teach to students taboo words, those usage will be able to be negative impact for the basic aducation sytem,the better way is to leave those usage in daily life which are going to give the best response in the course of time with enough tolerans.

I think only native speakers can use them properly.....and understand these bad wors.....so it is not possible for nonnative english teachers to teach the words.........some fuuny mistakes will made...... i think......

learning taboo words is at least not bad in my opinion. knowing these words can help you to avoid when talking especially in foreign language ! learning new things is not bad but abusing them !
in class we rarely be taught taboo words. coming here i hope to learn new things from friends all over the world, and so do you, right ? difference in cultures makes us some times misunderstand each other. discuss things openly is good for all of us !
can anyone teach me some taboo words ? how to use it? in what case?[/code]

Taboo words should be taught. You should know what people are saying to you.

I remember when I first came to America. I was trying to practice English at the mall. The sales woman did not like me and she called me a "stupid foreign ----." (I remember the last word she said but I don't want to type it ).

I was not sure she was making an insult. I knew "stupid" could be bad, but I wasn't sure.

But I knew she was insuling me because of my friend. He was very upset and he made us leave the store.

The lady was smiling. She talked like she was being nice but used the bad words. If I was alone I would not have been sure about the insult. If I had known the bad words, I would have been sure.

This is why I think teachers should teach taboo words. It is important to know what people are saying to you. We cannot know that for certain if we don't know the words they are using.

Teachers must use correct words with students. Some times is difficult don’t use taboo words into or out of classroom. I think that teachers can contribute to improve our vocabulary. These words are easy to learn, but it is not a good idea when you learn a new language. Really it is pleasant to listen a person speak correctly. :D

subway wrote:why not? i think a students have to know and also they should not use. as you know, many movies show kind of those words until became common.

Why would anyone want those words to become common? Are there not enough words and phrases in the language already?

My advice would be that one should learn how to speak and write the language first before one starts learning nasty words. They are of little use anywhere apart from on a street-corner with people of limited vocabulary.

Janette wrote:I remember when I first came to America. I was trying to practice English at the mall. The sales woman did not like me and she called me a "stupid foreign ----." (I remember the last word she said but I don't want to type it ).

It's not you who needs to learn English my friend, it's the rude sales woman.

To me, there are no taboo words. What really exist are dirty words, nasty words or the like.

shokin wrote:Humour is necessary. Let us break the taboo !

I agree with you that humor is necessary. We need it so that our life will not be boring. But I don't think that it's a good idea to make a joke by using dirty words.

There are some comedians use dirty words to attract the audience. On the other side, there are some who don't use dirty words to attract the audience. To me, the later is much better that the first one. And based on the reality, the first one, sooner or later, will be left by the audience.

Dirty words are not good to be used by comedians let alone by teachers. In my opinion, teachers shouldn't teach dirty words to students. Period!!!

The function of a teacher is not only to transfer the knowledge but also being a role model for the students. What would happen if many teachers used dirty words in their daily conversations. What a nightmare!!!

chet baker wrote: I think the teacher should tell their students what is taboo word, so that students can avoid to use these words in public

Dirty words do not need to be taught at all. If you want your students to speak properly just teach them proper words and sentences. Then they’ll get used to those words and they'll spontaneously use them. On the other hand, if you teach them dirty words, then they will be familiar with those words and the consequence is: they'll spontaneously use them in their conversations. As we all know that the more we pronounce a word the more spontaneous we use it. That's why, in learning a language, we are suggested to read words or sentences repeatedly so that we'll spontaneously use them in our daily conversations.

My friend you don't need to worry that they will not know dirty words. They will get them in their life soon. As we all know that children are very curious on dirty words. So Event though you don't teach them dirty words, usually they will find the words themselves.

So, in this case, I agree with intboy who says :

intboy wrote: I don't think the teachers need to teach those, as the students will learn those around their life, and teachers must teach something more useful, I think.

My last point is : to speak properly, all we need to do is to practice saying good words and sentences. If we don't know bad or dirty words, that's even better so that our sentences will not be contaminated with dirty words.

English teachers should teach taboo words to students.
What do you think?

Definitely I disagree with that.
School it's an academic institution/organization and it's not appropriate to teach this taboo words to students. Usually we learn this words from movies or daily speaking but sure not in the school. And I see it impolite thing.

I don’t think that school is an appropriate place for learning taboo words, and that is why they are taboo.
The teacher should give you grammar and learn you use it properly. For the rest of material there are a lot of dictionaries and books by hand. Don’t make your teacher blush.

learners of a foreign language learn the bad words before anything else because they hear them used in a way or the other especially in movies. i have a cousin of mine who used such words before even learning how to build a sentence, when i asked her who tuaght her such words, she said ' my friends at school say it'.
this is not to say that learners will be fully aware of every taboo word in a language because you know they are learners.

today's generation don't need anybody to teach them that because they learn it themselves.

words normally develop/transform outside the school so teachers should use the proper words to use in school where students are expected to finish there degree with a well rounded or balanced personality.

I personally think those taboo words are only used by people who are already close to each other so, for me it's not really important whether we learn it or not. What is important is to be able to express our opinion properly to promote greater understanding between each other.

In my opinion, English teachers may teach their students what taboos are so as to avoid offendng others or causing embarrassment, but I don't think they should teach taboo words in classrooms. Why?

Just as TalkingPoint clearly pointed out, "Taboo words are words used in bad language, such as "damn" or "tits." Hence, they are not appropriate to teach in classrooms. In fact, there is no need for them to teach such words. Students learn those words quite fast without teaching. To my surprise, they just know how to say them. Therefore, why bother to teach them taboo words, when there are so many other things to teach.

I am an English teacher, and sometimes hear my students using 'taboo' words, or even just slightly inappropriate words. I do not think it is my job to teach these words, but as the students will hear them when watching movies, I feel that I need to let them know which words are OK to use in general conversation, and which are impolite, or even very rude.

The reason I do this, when the need arises, is because some years ago, I was getting my hair cut, and my hairdresser who speaks only very little English, told one of the girls who works in his salon to 'f*** off". I could not explain to him why he should not speak to her like this, because his English is not good enough, but later, I got a friend whose English is better, to go with me, to explain to him the meaning, and the reason to not use this expression in the salon.

He was terribly embarrassed, and apologized to me a lot. He had heard the expression while watching movies, and had no idea of the meaning, or that it is not considered polite language.

So, although I do not actively teach these words in class, I do try to make take advantage of an opportunity to point out that not all English words they may hear, particularly when watching movies, are polite, or even appropriate to use in general conversation.

A good English teacher is supposed to tell his students that there are many English words that are also use in different situation like The taboo words. By telling the students, they will understand why people use those words and in what condition the words are spoken. That's it. It is like teaching religion. We teach good and bad sides of lives and we will never ask them to do the bad ones. They understand what should be done instead.